July is National Eye Injury Prevention Month, and warehouse and manufacturing workers face the highest risk of any industry. About 2,000 U.S. workers suffer a job-related eye injury every day. The CDC estimates 90 percent are preventable with the right protection.
So why do workers take their safety glasses off?
One word: fogging. In a recent industry survey of workers across manufacturing, construction, service, and retail, every single respondent named fogged-up lenses as a major reason they don't wear their eye protection. More than half said they would comply if their safety eyewear actually had working anti-fog technology.
Eye injuries account for nearly 45 percent of all head injuries that lead to missed workdays, and cost employers an estimated $300 million a year in medical bills, lost productivity, and workers' compensation.
Modern anti-fog coatings and indirect-vent goggle designs have improved significantly. If your current safety glasses fog the moment you walk into a temperature change, check for anti-fog replacements. They are available at a cost range from $25 to $50. Some newer lenses use dual-action coatings that last the life of the glasses.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
